Centralizing Rules: How Party Regulations Are Reinforcing Cadre Loyalty in Today’s China

How does the Chinese Communist Party ensure that its officials remain loyal to the top leader, and what mechanisms does the leader use to get cadres to comply with his policies and intentions? We argue that Party regulations play a very important role in ensuring loyalty. These regulations, both written and unwritten, constitute a system of authoritarian legality through which Xi Jinping ensures that cadres practice the "two safeguards," thus enhancing his personal power.